Utah Data Center

Background

The Utah Data Center, code-named Bumblehive, is the first Intelligence Community Comprehensive National Cyber-security Initiative (IC CNCI) data center
designed to support the Intelligence Community's efforts to monitor, strengthen and protect the nation. Our Utah "mission data repository" is designed to cope with the vast increases in digital data that have accompanied the rise of the global network.

NSA is the executive agent for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and is the lead agency at the center.

Openness and Transparency: Our Cooperation with Privacy Groups

As proof of our genuine concern for privacy protection, we recently gave permission for several privacy groups to fly their little blimp over our massive data center. We would like to thank these
airborne privacy pioneers for the stunning photo below of our impressive facility. By allowing harmless publicity stunts like these, we can have our data and store it too.

Learn More About Our Secret Surveillance Activities

In recent months, numerous Top Secret documents have been leaked to the media relating to surveillance activities carried out by our Intelligence Community.
In an effort to increase transparency, a new website called "IC OFF THE RECORD" was created to provide the American People
immediate, ongoing and direct access to these unauthorized leaks.

Click on the Photo Below to View Utah Data Center Up Close at High Resolution

Utah Data Center Technical Specifications

Data Storage Capacity

In February 2012, Utah Governor Gary R. Herbert revealed that the Utah Data Center would be the "first facility in the world expected to gather and house a yottabyte".
Since then, conflicting media reports have also estimated our storage capacity in terms of zettabytes and exabytes. While the actual capacity is classified for NATIONAL SECURITY REASONS, we can say this: The Utah Data Center was built with future expansion in mind
and the ultimate capacity will definitely be "alottabytes"!

The steady rise in available computer power and the development of novel computer platforms will enable us to easily turn the huge volume of incoming data into an asset to be exploited, for the good of
the nation.

Code-Breaking Supercomputer Platform

The Utah Data Center is powered by the massively parallel Cray XC30 supercomputer which is capable of scaling high performance computing (HPC) workloads of more than 100 petaflops or
100,000 trillion calculations each second.

Code-named "Cascade", this behemoth was developed in conjunction with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to meet the demanding needs of the Intelligence Community.

Our Ultimate Target: 256-bit AES

The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) algorithm is used worldwide to encrypt electronic data on hard drives, email systems, and web browsers.
Computer experts have estimated it would take longer than the age of the universe to break the code using a trial-and-error brute force attack
with today's computing technology.

In 2004, the NSA launched a plan to use the Multiprogram Research Facility
in Oak Ridge, Tennessee to build a classified supercomputer designed specifically for cryptanalysis targeting the AES algorithm. Our classified NSA Oak Ridge facility
made a stunning breakthrough that is leading us on a path towards building the first exaflop machine (1 quintillion instructions per second) by 2018. Since the capability to break the AES-256 encryption key within
an actionable time period may still be decades away, our Utah facility is sized to store all encrypted (and thereby suspicious) data for safekeeping.

2015 Status of the Utah Data Center

We are pleased to announce that as of 8/31/2014, the Utah Data Center is 100% complete. Here is a nice collection of wintry photos taken in early 2014:

Aerial view of the Utah Data Center - 2014

Chiller plant and generator plant

Administration building and our four data halls

Utah Data Center Administration building

Visitor Control Center

Our massive cooling systems at work

Water tanks for our chiller plant

Work at the Utah Data Center

Are you interested in a career in Domestic Surveillance? Check out our Utah Data Center jobs page for exciting employment opportunities.

Operating the Utah Data Center

It takes a large dedicated team to keep a data center up and running. Here are just some of the positions staffed by contractors at the UDC:

Provides technical support for data center asset management system by performing all database administrative duties.
More details

Master Plumber

Installs, modifies and repairs utility, supply, and disposal systems, and equipment, such as water; mains, oil and gas
distribution systems, air compression equipment, water closets, as well as all type of fire protection equipment.
More details

Instrumentation & Electrical Technician

Performs routine maintenance, installation and integration of various types of
process control instrumentation equipment such as transmitters, controllers, integrators, recorders, square root extractors
and final drive elements.
More details

The Utah Data Center keeps watch 24 hours a day

What's Being Said About the Utah Data Center on Twitter

We are Americans first, last, and always. We treasure the U.S. Constitution and understand that a spirited debate is often a necessary precursor to acceptance.

The Utah Data Center - On the Map

This is a parody of nsa.gov and has not been approved, endorsed, or authorized by the National Security Agency
or by any other U.S. Government agency.
Much of this content was derived from news media, privacy groups, and government websites. Links to these sites are posted on the left-sidebars of each page.